


Clean Plates

by LuckyBishop



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Lack of Communication, Light Angst, Love Languages, M/M, Oops! All Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:42:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25963807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyBishop/pseuds/LuckyBishop
Summary: Derek has loved Stiles for so long that it feels like an objective fact. And Stiles is a smart guy, right? So he should know that objectively, it's true, Derek is in love with him. The problem is, he doesn't seem to know that, and Derek is at a loss for what he needs to do to make it clear.Title taken from/work inspired by "You in January" by The Wonder Years."I ran the dishwasher this morning, I wanted there to be clean plates for you tonight."
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 16
Kudos: 241





	Clean Plates

**Author's Note:**

> So I haven't written anything in forever, and I've never published anything I've written for this Fandom, but inspiration actually struck for this one so here it is! Readers, kudos, and comments are all appreciated <3

Derek watches the pack interact, scattered through the loft, with a small smile on his face. No matter that they’ve been doing this for a few years now, the ache when the group of teens he somehow adopted into a pack leave for college never really fades until they’re all back home. There’s a part of him that feels settled knowing that when they leave this time, it’s the last time for most of them. There will be a series of graduations to attend in quick succession, and then they’ll be home - a full pack in Beacon Hills once more.

“Never gets old, seeing everyone together, does it? After everything we went through?” Stiles’ voice cuts through Derek’s quiet moment, though it’s always a welcome interruption. There was a time where he would’ve been agitated at Stiles’ sudden appearance and lack of personal boundaries, but that feels like a lifetime ago for Derek now. He can’t summon up the anger he held so close to his heart any longer - not when he has a strong pack, built around the survivors of his family and his new friends alike. 

He turns to Stiles, who’s leaning into his space by the kitchen counter, and doesn’t stop the full smile that automatically springs to his face at the sight of his trusted packmate, his closest friend, and the love of his goddamn life so close. “No, it doesn’t. It’s always so good to have you - have you all - home, even if it is just temporary.”

“Hey, it’s always good to be back with you too, big guy,” Stiles responds, “there’s nobody on the east coast that puts up with my shit the way you do.” Derek rolls his eyes at the predictably cheesy line and easily dodges the arm that Stiles had started to fling around his shoulders, instead pulling the slightly shorter man into a headlock.

There would always be something amusing about the way Stiles struggled when he or any of the pack roughhoused with him like this; like Stiles could forget he was human so easily, or forget that Derek and the pack weren’t. It reminded Derek of how open and carefree he and his family were when he was younger. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to express to Stiles and the others how much it meant to him when he could relax, and not feel like he had to hide himself. He knows that Peter and Cora understand, can see the freedom reminiscent of his youth, but to the others it would never have the same meaning.

Derek looks over to Cora, sitting next to Lydia while she animatedly recounts breaking up a bar fight. The redhead rolls her eyes as she always does at Cora’s dramatics, but listens attentively to the story Derek is sure she’s already heard several times. Derek hadn’t been sure they would last when they first got together - two such strong personalities, but he finds that they compliment each other in a way he couldn’t have anticipated. Still, it makes him fiercely happy to see Cora content. Things hadn’t been easy at first - Derek had so much guilt and anger to work through, and Cora hadn’t been much different. The Hale Stubbornness, as Stiles liked to call it, ran deep and it had taken a long time before the siblings were open with each other.

The tapping on his arm that he had been ignoring becomes more insistent, and he releases a sputtering Stiles with a smirk on his face. “Don’t worry, we’re all well-versed in putting up with your shit out here. Once you’re back, it’ll be like nothing’s changed,” no matter how much Derek wishes things could change between them. With that, Derek heads back over to the group at large, figuring he’ll deal with the mountain of dishes filling his sink and spilling over the surrounding counters, and looks over at Scott. “Wanna go for a pack run tonight, Alpha?”

“I’ve told you that you don’t have to call me that, Derek,” Scott responds with a small laugh, “but yeah, I was thinking we could head out in a few if that’s ok with everyone?”

Derek will probably never get used to Scott being so lax with his alpha status. While his mother loved him very much, she was never as open or relaxed with them as Scott allowed himself to be. Whether that was her alpha status or her personality, Derek supposed he’d never really know, but he felt like the pack structure had definitely put a strain on their relationship. It didn’t mean he missed her any less, just that he wished things could’ve been different when she had still been alive.

There are murmurs of agreement among the other weres after Scott’s question to the group, and within a few minutes they depart, leaving Stiles and Lydia alone in the loft. As they start to run, Stiles is the only thing on Derek’s mind.

Derek has loved Stiles for so long that it feels like an objective fact. And Stiles is a smart guy, right? So he should know that objectively, it's true, Derek is in love with him. The problem is, he doesn't seem to know that, and Derek is at a loss for what he needs to do to make it clear. He’s never been good with his words, but he gives them to Stiles as much as he can. Tells Stiles how proud he is, how much respect he has for him, how happy he is to have Stiles in his life. 

At first, Derek had been worried that Stiles moving across the country would be the end of the tentative friendship they had finally developed, but in fact he found himself facing the opposite. Stiles texted him constantly, and they Skyped with the pack when they could. That turned into more of just the two of them talking, turned into Stiles being at the loft more and more when he was home, regardless of who else was there. In the way that Scott and Stiles had always been ScottAndStiles when Derek had first met them, Derek and Stiles morphed into DerekAndStiles. It was always easiest to find one of them or find out something about one of them by asking the other, and the pack had taken to it with ease. It just felt natural.

Stiles never shuts up - Derek had known that to be true basically from the moment he met him in the woods, and it puzzles him that Stiles - brilliant, intuitive, talkative Stiles - doesn’t seem to be picking up the message he’s trying to send. Derek’s even tried to be as direct as possible, confessing his love to Stiles once as he had dropped him off at the airport to fly back to school. All he had gotten in return for his effort was an, “I love you too man; I’ll call you when I land!”

The gravity of the moment had clearly been lost on Derek, though he had been cheered up somewhat to find a “care package” from Stiles waiting for him as soon as he got back to the loft. It was clear Stiles knew it was hard on him when they all left, so he had gathered all of Derek’s favorite snacks and a few photos of the pack, leaving them for Derek to find when he knew he’d be at his lowest.

There were all these little gestures, gestures that made Derek have hope that Stiles felt the same way, that there was more to their connection than the lust he’d had for him as a teenager or the friendship they’d developed over time. But much as he tried to convey how he felt, it never seemed like Stiles got the message, or that he was sending the same one back.

Almost before he knew it, Derek and the others were back at the loft. Sometimes his feelings and thoughts about Stiles were so overwhelming, he’d completely lose focus on everything else around him. Walking back in the door to see Stiles spread out on the couch, looking completely at home, made his heart jump the way it always did, his sister giving him a look from the corner of his vision.

“One of these days, you’re going to have to do something about this, you know,” he heard from his other side, Peter closer to him than he’d anticipated.

Derek scoffs, “You think I haven’t been trying?” He knows it isn’t his uncle’s fault, but the implication that he hasn’t been trying to confess his love for Stiles for years now rubs him the wrong way.

Peter shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s the problem here, Derek. God, you can both be so dense sometimes.” With his cryptic words and a pat on the shoulder, Peter passes Derek into the loft, joining the others.

Derek is the last to enter, shutting the door behind him and trying to repress his frustration with Peter, with Stiles, with the entire situation. It’s been such a good night, having the pack here, and the last thing he wants to do is ruin it. They lounge around for another hour, the last of the food and drinks disappearing quickly into the mouths of always-hungry wolves. One-by-one, the pack start to say their goodbyes. Peter is the last of everyone else to leave, wrapping Derek in a quick embrace and whispering, “Stop being your own worst enemy, Derek,” in his ear before stepping out of the loft, leaving Stiles and Derek alone.

“Your couch is too comfy, Der, I don’t know if I’m going to make it out of here. I’ve gotta get one of these, once I figure out where I’m gonna live when I come back.” They’d had the conversation multiple times that Stiles wanted to be independent, not move back in with his dad when he came back to Beacon Hills, but that he didn’t quite know where to go. If Scott, Kira, Isaac, and Allison weren’t all planning on getting a place together, he’d have moved in with them, but that was one big love-fest he didn’t need to be a part of.

There’s something about Stiles that makes Derek less careful, more impulsive, and he blurts out, “You could just move in here, you know. You already spend most of your time here when you’re in town.”

Stiles hesitates, and the action is so unlike him that it immediately puts Derek on edge. “You mean like, roommates? Do you have another secret bedroom in this place you’ve been hiding from us all these years?”

“Well, no, but there’s all this open space. I’m sure we could work something out,” Derek feels desperate, wants to scream that Stiles could just stay in his bed, his wolf excited at the thought of curling around his love in his own bed every night.

Stiles sighs, and Derek’s heart starts to plummet to the bottom of his stomach. “Look, Derek, I really appreciate the offer, you know I do. But - but I think it might be too hard, living with you like that.” There’s no stutter to his heartbeat, and Derek knows that this is Stiles’ truth. He loves Stiles in a way that Stiles does not love him, and he needs to acknowledge it, no matter how painful.

“I know we haven’t ever really discussed it, these unrequited feelings, but I care about you so much Derek, and I think it would really hurt the both of us if we were in such close quarters like that. I know it’s selfish of me, but I just don’t think I could handle it. I’m sorry, Derek.” Every single one of Stiles’ words feels like another punch to his gut; Derek can practically feel himself starting to curl around himself, the urge to protect himself in his vulnerable state impossible to ignore.

He manages to choke out, “No, god, Stiles, you don’t have to be sorry. I never realized how uncomfortable I was making you; I wish you’d said something sooner. I’ll back off, I promise.” Derek felt sick - Stiles knew? Stiles knew how Derek felt and just didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to upset him? Derek had spent all this time thinking that Stiles just wasn’t understanding what he was trying to say, but it wasn’t true. Stiles understood perfectly, and wanted nothing to do with him.

“Could you go? It’s just - there’s all the dishes to do, and I’m sure you want to spend more time with your dad before you go back. If you want, I can ask someone else to drop you off at the airport too. I’m sure that - “

“Hold on,” Stiles interrupts, forcing Derek to look back up at him. What he sees isn’t what he expected - Stiles’ eyes are huge, and unexpectedly brimming with unshed tears. “I don’t think we’re quite on the same page here, Derek. I’m talking about my unrequited feelings. For you. It’s been years, you have super senses, I figured you had to know.”

Derek still feels like the floor has been ripped out from underneath him, but now it’s for an entirely different reason. “But - I mean - you never said anything…”

Stiles laughs, and it’s close to humorless. “Never said anything? Derek, are you kidding me? Do you think I spent as much time texting, calling, and Skyping anyone else the last four years of school? Do you think I was sending everyone in the pack things I saw that reminded me of them? Do you know how many times Dad would’ve killed for me to do chores the way I did your dishes?” With that last remark, Stiles gestures over to where Derek’s kitchen is now completely spotless, and Derek starts to realize how completely stupid he’s been.

“Honestly Derek, I didn’t think I could’ve been any more obvious. I always figured you were just too polite to tell me to back off.”

“Peter was right,” is all Derek can find it in himself to say. “We’re both complete idiots.”

It’s enough of a non-sequitur that it breaks Stiles out of his rant. “What do you mean, Peter was right? What does he have to do with any of this?”

“He told me tonight, and he’s told me several times before, that I needed to do something. About my feelings for you. Which I have, and have been trying to tell you about for years.”

Stiles stares back, expression blank as if he can’t quite process what he’s hearing, and honestly, Derek gets it because he feels much the same way. “Stiles, I literally told you that I love you. Don’t you remember, flying back before last fall semester? I confessed to you and you said it back, but I could tell you didn’t mean it in the same way I did, and nothing changed. I thought you were oblivious to my feelings for you, and I guess I was right.”

“Well, since we are both idiots, no matter how much I hate admitting Peter could be right about anything, cards on the table? I think I’ve been in love with you since I was sixteen, Derek. Sure, at first we didn’t get along, and I just thought you were smokin’, but it became more so quickly. Even before I said it, I trusted you. I trusted you with my safety, with Scott’s safety, even with my dad’s safety, Derek. Do you even understand what that means?”

Sick of this back and forth, and frankly a little stunned by Stiles’ confession, Derek finally closes the space between them. He’s been trying so hard to show Stiles he loves him in the way he thought best - using his words - that he’s finally tired of the build up, and finally touches his lips to Stiles.

Stiles responds immediately, and any lingering thoughts Derek had about Stiles not wanting him, not feeling the same, fly out the window. The kiss doesn’t linger, Derek pulling back to lean his forehead against Stiles’, who’s breathing heavily and looking directly into Derek’s eyes.

“Of course I do, Stiles. You’ve literally called me the embodiment of trust issues before. My family, my pack, everyone who ever loved me, was dead. You have no idea how little I cared whether I lived or died by the time you came into my life. But you - you, and this pack - gave me meaning to my life again. You were sixteen Stiles; literally anyone and everyone made you smell aroused. I didn’t think it was personal. Then things got better, and we got closer, and I figured you’d grown out of it. Figured you’d left me behind, at least in that sense.”  
“Well, listen to me, and listen to me carefully. I will _never_ leave you behind, you hear me? Not in any sense. You’re stuck with me now - in fact, ask me again.”

“Ask you what?”

“Ask me to move in with you when I graduate, when I come back to Beacon Hills.” Stiles was grinning now, the sight of it brighter than Derek thought he’d ever seen before.

Derek heaves a put-upon sigh, “If you’re telling me to ask you, doesn’t that mean you want to do it?”

“Well, if you’re not even going to ask me properly, I could always see if Peter wants a roommate.”

Derek can’t even summon up the strength to feign annoyance any longer, too elated by the knowledge that Stiles loved him, even wanted to move in with him. “Stiles Stilinski, my love, my sun, my moon, and my truth, will you move in with me? Maybe be my boyfriend while we’re at it?”

Stiles clings to him like a koala, recognizing the true significance of Derek’s statement in a way that only Stiles could, and buries his face in Derek’s neck. “Yes. Yes to everything. I love you so much, Derek.”

“And I love you, even when you’re being a brat and you threaten to move in with my uncle instead of me.”

Neither of them gets any sleep that night, busy making up for time (and making out) and telling each other about all the gestures, all the words, everything they had tried to use to express their love for the other. Derek doesn’t mind one bit - he’ll take this sleepless night, and a thousand more, with Stiles by his side - over any other night he’s lived. And the next morning, when Stiles automatically moves to wash the dishes from the breakfast Derek made for them , Derek knows that he finally, finally knows how to tell Stiles he loves him, and how to hear it in return, without a single word.


End file.
